The best way to start with AI in a company is to begin small, stay focused, and align every decision with a real business need. At AEHEA, we help companies take their first steps into AI by identifying practical use cases where the technology can add immediate value. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the scale or promise of AI, but starting with a clear problem and a narrow scope builds momentum and sets the foundation for long-term success.

The first move is to gather key stakeholders and identify a challenge that is both high-impact and solvable with the data you already have. This could be something like automating responses to customer inquiries, improving forecasting, or reducing time spent on repetitive data entry. The use case should be specific and measurable. Starting with a use case that touches an existing workflow makes adoption easier and results easier to measure.

Next, you assess what data is available and whether it’s suitable for an AI model. You do not need massive amounts of data for every project, but it needs to be clean, consistent, and relevant. Once you’ve selected a use case and confirmed you have the right data, it’s time to prototype. Use low-code or no-code tools like n8n, paired with cloud-based AI services, to build a working model. Keep it simple. The goal at this stage is not perfection, but proof. Demonstrating that AI can improve a process or decision builds internal support and helps define your strategy going forward.

At AEHEA, we always recommend documenting the process, capturing both successes and lessons learned. Starting small helps you build trust, test assumptions, and learn how AI fits into your operations. From there, you can expand to other departments or more complex systems with confidence. The key is not just starting but starting with purpose. When you focus on solving real problems, AI becomes a tool for growth, not a distraction.